Opioid-Associated Anorectal Dysfunction in Chronic Constipation

Letter: opioid usage is associated with rectal hyposensitivity in patients with opioid‐induced constipation

“…4 In another study of 424 patients, recent opioid use (but not distant use) was independently associated with higher thresholds of first constant sensation volume, DDV and maximum tolerable volume in a multivariable regression analysis. 5 We also demonstrated, in 2,754 patients referred for specialist investigation for chronic constipation, that opioid use for moderate-to-severe pain (n = 238 patients) was associated with rectal hyposensitivity (defined as ≥2 out of 3 rectal sensory thresholds above normal limits). 6 This association was even stronger than that of opioids for moderate-to-severe pain with delayed whole gut transit time (odds ratio 1.74 [95%-CI 1.23-2.46] vs. 1.68 [95%-CI 1.19-2.37], respectively).…”